


By the Stream and O'er the Mead

by 2kimi2furious



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Relationships, Gen, Multi, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21926101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2kimi2furious/pseuds/2kimi2furious
Summary: Fawn Bell inherits her grandfather's farm in Pelican Town.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. Parsnips

**Author's Note:**

> This is completely self-indulgent and horrifically wholesome. Basically a prose version of my current play through where I'm actually role playing instead of just building a pretty farm. Hope you guys like it.

It was insane. She knew it was insane. Fawn Bell knew nothing about running a farm or growing crops or raising animals. She was an office drone by trade, used to basking in the soft white glow of her computer’s monitor rather than the harsh glare of the sun. Her hands were soft from idleness and had never once held a plow or shovel. She had absolutely no business running this farm.

She stood on the porch of the rickety old cabin and surveyed the land before her. It was choked with weeds and rocky soil. The forest to the south of the farm had started to creep in. It would take weeks to clear it all. Maybe even months. Fawn’s felt her stomach drop. This was a mistake.

She should have sold the farm once she realized Grandpa Bell had left it to her. As run down as it was, the land was probably still valuable. She could have made a nice profit and tucked it away into her laughably small savings account. Maybe in a few years, she could have saved up enough to quit her job at Joja Co. and do something real. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Fawn sighed. Moving out here _was_ supposed to be “the something real” she had wanted to experience. She had figured she wouldn’t be any more prepared later than she was now, so she had gone ahead and moved out now. No sense waiting. She was still young (regardless of what her prematurely grey hair said) and capable, so she moved out to The Rolling Moss Farm in Pelican Town to try her hand at living the natural life.

“Alright, then,” she said to no one in particular as she rolled up the sleeves of her red flannel shirt. “Let’s do this!”

The tools were much heavier than she expected, and the rocks and stumps on the property stubbornly refused to be broken up. It was well past lunchtime when she stopped for a break and Fawn had only managed to clear out a tiny portion of land. She wanted to cry. Wanted to, but didn’t. Crying wasn’t going to accomplish anything.

“I just need some lunch,” she thought. “Some lunch and a break. This afternoon will be much better.”

She had a habit of narrating her thoughts and giving herself pep talks. When she was an office drone, these little talks were the only things that got her through the day.

Fawn wiped the dirt off of her tools and stowed them away in the rickety little tool chest on her farm before wiping the sweat off her brow. She went in her cabin to clean up a little and then made her way into town.

The Stardrop Saloon was less lively during the day than it was at night. The jukebox played a jaunty tune softly as the bartender wiped down the bar.

“Gus, right?” Fawn ventured.

The bartender looked up from his cleaning and shot a mustachioed grin her way.

“Ah, the new farmer,” he said. “We don’t get many customers during the day, but you’re welcome to sit at the bar. What’ll it be?”

Fawn glanced at the small menu in front of her and her stomach grumbled audibly. It all looked amazing. She looked up and caught Gus’ eye and he chuckled good-naturedly at her.

“Having trouble deciding what you want?”

“It all looks _so good_ ,” Fawn lamented. “And I’m _so hungry!_ ”

“Might I suggest the special of the day?” Gus said. “Farmer’s Lunch. Lots of fiber and protein. It should give you a nice afternoon energy boost.”

Fawn eagerly nodded and before long, Gus presented her with a steaming plate piled high with eggs and vegetables. It was simple fare, but it was seasoned perfectly and Fawn felt warm and happy by the time her plate was clean.

“I hope it was to your liking,” Gus said.

“It definitely was,” Fawn replied, dabbing at her lips with her napkin. “What were those carrot things, though? The little white ones. I’ve never seen those before.”

“Those are parsnips,” Gus explained. “They’re similar to carrots, but not quite. Do you not have those in the city?”

“Honestly, I’ve never checked,” Fawn answered. “I didn’t really cook a lot of my own food. Mostly just ate pre-packaged stuff from Joja Mart.”

A look of disgust passed over Gus’ face.

“Well, everything I serve here is made with fresh ingredients harvested right here in the Valley,” he said proudly. “I mostly buy whatever Pierre has grown in his garden. You know Pierre, right? He owns the general store.”

“Oh yes,” Fawn answered. “I’ve met him. He grows enough to sell to the whole town?”

“He tries,” Gus said. “It was a lot easier when that farm of yours was up and running. Your grandfather would help cover the difference with his bumper crop.”

Fawn felt her cheeks burn a little. It was weird knowing that everyone in this town knew her grandfather so well. And it was daunting knowing that he was so much better at this farming thing than she was. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to produce enough to sell for the town, much less break even.

Gus must have seen the look on her face because he leaned across the bar and said kindly: “You know, I hear parsnips are pretty easy to grow.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Wait just a moment. I think I’ve got a spare packet of seeds I haven’t gotten the chance to plant yet.”

“Oh no,” Fawn protested. “I couldn’t. I’ve got some money, you don’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense,” Gus said, already heading toward the back room to retrieve the seeds. “Think of it as a welcoming gift. But if you really feel terribly about it, you can just give me some of your crop when it is harvest time!”

It was an old packet of seeds, that’s for sure. But Gus assured her that they were still good. So Fawn made the short trek back to her farm and started to till the small patch of land she had recently cleared. 

She didn’t know if it was the lunch she’d had or the determination to grow the seeds to repay Gus, but Fawn felt a new burst of energy that she hadn’t felt before. By dusk, Fawn had finished planting and watering every seed in the packet. Stupidly, she realized she should have saved some just in case the parsnips didn’t grow, but by that time it was too late. Nothing to do now but hope.

……………………………………

The days on the farm seemed to roll into one another. Every morning, Fawn was up at dawn, watering her parsnips and pulling up weeds. Very slowly, green sprouts began to shoot out of the dirt which filled her with a sense of excitement and dread. The leaves were so small, so fragile, Fawn didn’t know if they would make it past the growing stage.

Every so often, she saw birds flying around the vegetable patch. She was only charmed by them once before she realized they were pecking at the dirt and pulling up her parsnip shoots. She ran after them, flailing her arms wildly and determined that afternoon to do something about it. The scarecrow she made was ugly and lopsided, but she didn’t have a problem with the crows after that.

Finally, the day came. Fawn had just filled up her watering can when she noticed the white roots of the plant pushing up out of the ground.

“Already?” Fawn asked no one in particular. “No, it can’t be…”

She set the watering can down and took a better look at her parsnip patch. The plants’ foliage was green and bright and many of them had little hints of white popping up after the ground. Hesitantly, she gripped one of the plants and gave it a yank.

Nothing.

Gritting her teeth, she got a better hold on the plant and pulled harder. She fell flat on her bottom, taking a fat white carrot-like vegetable with her. It was wrinkled and ugly, covered with dirt, but it was the most beautiful thing Fawn had ever seen.

Excitedly, she got up to rinse it off in the small pond on her property and then she took a bite out of it then and there. It was sweet, crisp, and nutty, and Fawn had never tasted anything so delicious in her life. Except for maybe the meal Gus had served her a few days ago.

Fawn made short work of harvesting the rest of her parsnips, valiantly resisting the urge to take a bite out of every one. She placed them all in her shipping bin except for the choicest ones. Those, she wrapped in a bundle with twine and promptly delivered to the Stardrop Saloon. By the time Gus discovered the package, Fawn was already in Pierre’s general store, wondering if cauliflower would grow just as easily as the parsnips had.


	2. Jellybean

Fawn awoke one morning to find her neighbor on her doorstep. It was the squat little woman she’d seen working on the property to the south of Rolling Moss Farm.

“Marnie, isn’t it?” Fawn asked. “From the ranch?”

“The same,” Marnie said jovially. “I’m sorry for stopping by unannounced, and so early too.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Fawn said. And she meant it. Most of the people she’d met in Pelican Town and the surrounding areas were friendly and willing to offer some sort of advice or help. It was such a big change from Zuzu City where everyone seemed to only be concerned for themselves.

“Good!” Marnie said, clapping her hands together happily. “I’ve brought you something I think you might find helpful.”

Marnie rummaged around the pockets of her large skirt and gently pulled something small and fluffy out of it.

“Found this one wandering in the pasture today,” Marnie said. “Something must have happened to his mother.”

She was holding out a puppy, with a small oval face and floppy ears. He wagged his tail when he saw Fawn and gave out a few playful yips.

“Thought about keeping him myself, but my ranch is already so lively,” she continued. “And I hate the thought of you living out here on your own. I know, I know you can take care of yourself, but we all could use a little companionship.”

Fawn thought she could detect a hint of sadness in Marnie’s voice, but it quickly passed.

“I mean, you don’t have to take him,” she said. “But every farm could use a dog.”

The puppy was struggling to get out of Marnie’s hands. She put him on the ground and he ran toward Fawn, jumping at her legs, begging for her to get him.

“Are you sure?” Fawn asked, leaning down to pick him up. The puppy lunged forward in her arms and immediately began showering her face with kisses. 

“Quite sure,” Marnie said. “And it looks like he’s taking a liking to you already.”

Fawn laughed and pulled the puppy away from her face. He looked back at her tail wagging a mile a minute.

“Then yes,” Fawn said, looking back up at Marnie. “I’d love to have a dog!”

She’d never had a pet in the city. She was too busy to care for one and her apartment was too small. Here in the country, she would be there, always able to care for him. And he had loads of space to run around in.

“I think I’ll call you Jellybean,” she said, looking back down at the puppy. Marnie chuckled.

“Be good for Miss Fawn, Jellybean,” Marnie said. “Don’t cause her any trouble and stay out of her vegetable patch!”

“Thank you so much, Ms. Marnie,” Fawn said. “I mean it.”

“Don’t think about it,” the rancher said. “It makes me happy when I see animals in a loving home. And I think this will be a great place for him. Now I’ve got to head back and put my cows out to pasture. Please stop by if you need anything. You and that sweet pup.”

“We will!” Fawn said. “I promise!”

……………………………………

Jellybean trailed her like a shadow. Anytime Fawn took a step back, she tripped over him. It was beginning to become a nuisance.

“Come on, boy,” she griped. “You have to be careful!”

Jellybean barked and jumped up against her leg.

“I can’t hold you all the time,” she said. “I’ve got work to do.”

She gently pushed him away and gave a firm “No!”

Jellybean’s ears drooped at the firmness of her voice, and he sank to the ground. Fawn felt like she had done something horrible. But he was listening now.

“Good boy,” she said, a little more gently.

At her shift in tone, Jellybean once again tried to jump on her.

“No!” she repeated. And he sat back down. They went back and forth like this for a while before Jellybean finally seemed to understand he wasn’t going to get what he wanted. He sauntered off and sat down to pout. It was the cutest thing Fawn had ever seen.

The sulk didn’t last for long, however; Fawn had sowing to do. The prospect of digging in the dirt was enough to make Jellybean forget he had ever been upset.

“You are getting _filthy_ ,” Fawn laughed as the puppy dug and flopped in the freshly tilled soil. He snatched up a clod of dirt in his mouth and chewed it a bit before coughing it up. “You are getting a bath immediately, JB.”

The bath did not go well. He yelped like Fawn was hurting him and they were both soaked by the end of it. After, they sat in the farm house, eating supper and drying off. Jellybean finished off his food and crawled off to a corner by the fireplace and no amount of coaxing could get him to come back out.

“I’m sorry,” Fawn explained. “You needed it.”

But Jellybean was determined to sulk for the rest of the night. Eventually, Fawn gave up and turned back to her supper. Jellybean would come around eventually.

When bedtime finally rolled around, however, Jellybean still hadn’t emerged from his corner.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Fawn huffed. “Jellybean, get out of that corner this instant.”

Nothing.

“Jellybean?” she called out. She heard a small scuffle followed by a whine. She followed the sound until she got to the corner he was in and realized why he hadn’t yet come out.

“You poor thing!”

Jellybean had wedged himself between the fireplace and the dresser and had gotten himself stuck. He cried when he saw Fawn, pawing at the desk, trying in vain to get out.

“Here, let me help you!” 

Fawn managed to move the heavy furniture only slightly, but it was enough for Jellybean. He raced out from behind the dresser and allowed Fawn to pick him up.

“There, there,” she said, cuddling him up to her shoulder. “You’re alright.” 

Jellybean nuzzled his wet nose into her neck, trying to get as close to her as possible. He was clearly traumatized.

“You’ve had quite a big first day, haven’t you?” she asked, carrying him toward her bed. “You must be ready to sleep now.”

She pulled back the covers with one hand and slid between the sheets, placing Jellybean down next to her. He padded across the mattress, getting used to the feel of it between his paws. He very quickly decided he liked it and burrowed under the covers, curling right up against Fawn’s side.

“Attaboy, JB,” she said, softly. “I’ll see you in the morning.”


End file.
